Opinion

Televised Murders of Reporters Highlight the Importance of Journalism

By Chase Preciado (2016), Executive EditorOn the early morning of August 26, 2015, a gunman shot and killed two journalists during a live broadcast in Moneta, Virginia. The journalists were 24-year-old WDBJ7 news reporter Alison Parker and her 27-year-old cameraman Adam Ward. They were interviewing 61-year-old Vicki Gardner. The gunman was 41-year-old Vester Lee Flanagan II, also known as Bryce Williams. Gardner was shot in the back, but survived and successfully underwent surgery. But, Parker and Ward were pronounced dead at the scene. After the shooting, a five-hour manhunt for Williams ensued. After a car chase between police and Williams ended, the gunman committed suicide.Since the shooting occurred during a live television broadcast, thousands of people in Virginia witnessed the murders without any warning. The network quickly switched the cameras back to the news set, where morning anchor Kimberly McBroom was left visibly stunned and speechless at what had just occurred. However, before the camera could be switched, viewers witnessed cameraman Adam Ward’s camera lens fall to the ground and in turn, capture a glimpse of Bryce Williams, identifying him as the assailant. Within hours of the incident, the news video was showing up on YouTube, and social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, which were criticized by users for having an “auto-play” video feature that forced them to witness the violence without any warning as they scrolled down their news feeds. In addition, Williams began tweeting after the murders about his motives, stating that he was jealous of Alison Parker for earning a news anchor position he desired, and that she had allegedly made racist comments aimed towards him. He also claimed that Ward reported him to Human Resources during his time at the station from 2012-2013. He also tweeted and posted to Facebook two first-person videos taken from his iPhone that showed his vantage point as he committed the killings. When I first saw the videos of the murders and read about this story, I was horrified. As a student journalist myself, I was at a loss as to how two journalists could be murdered on live television in broad daylight. In my mind, there was an unspoken separation between the news and the reporters covering it.In my time as a student journalist, I’ve learned many valuable lessons regarding journalism and its role in society. Perhaps one of the most important of those lessons is that journalists have a responsibility to shed light on not only the news, but the underlying issues in society. I feel that through their murders, Alison Parker and Adam Ward ultimately fulfilled that responsibility. Gun control is a highly controversial issue in America today, and many began heated discussion and debated the issue directly following the release of the murder videos, just as had been done following numerous other shootings. However, this was different.I don’t feel that these murders are a call for gun control. Rather, I feel the underlying message from these killings is responsibility for and consequences of our choices. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. However, I feel that pro gun minds need to be aware of the effect that having available guns has on society. It is easy to debate something when you read about a tragedy, but it’s not so easy when you witness that tragedy play out right before your eyes. Alison and Adam were a living example to how horrific and brutal gun violence is, and that being shot and killed is more than a story that can be glossed over and ignored after reading.I don’t know what the future holds for America in terms of guns, but I do know that we should have a better perspective on how the things we believe and defend can negatively affect others; that is the ultimate purpose of journalism. Alison and Adam tragically had their lives and careers cut short, but in their final moments, they became a permanent symbol of that purpose.